Wind Turbines --
They’re getting Bigger and Closer.
Some of the tallest wind turbines in the UK to-date are being proposed for Carmarthenshire.
It all started in October 2002 when developers, working on behalf of National Wind Power, contacted Carmarthenshire County Council with a proposal to erect three 91-metre high (300-feet) wind turbines on Mynydd Llansadwrn, near Llansadwrn. In June 2003, the developers set up monitoring masts near the proposed site. It was at this point that local residents became aware of plans to erect wind turbines. They sprang into action. In July there was a well attended public meeting at Llanwrda Village Hall to inform people about this proposal. Out of this meeting the Mynydd Llansadwrn Action Group was formed. Present membership is approximately 180, and growing every day, with a core working group of about 15 people.
As recently as December 2003, a newspaper announcement by the managing director of Cardiff based Eco 2, a new company formed to take advantage of the huge sums of government money now backing wind power stations, stated that his Company proposed a wind farm installation on Betws Mountain, Ammanford. This would comprise of between twenty and thirty, 75-metre high (246-feet) wind turbines. If constructed, they will follow the route of the pylons carrying the existing high voltage grid line; which incidentally would be dwarfed by the wind turbines. They would make such a visual impact on the Betws Mountain skyline that they would be visible from Ammanford, Llandybie, Llandeilo, Cross Hands, Penygroes, Cwmamman and the surrounding area. Still more recently there appear to have been talks between developers and landowners; unconfirmed yet, but undoubtedly true; of further proposed wind farm installations in Carmarthenshire.
This beautiful County of ours has often been referred to as, “The Garden of Wales”. A phrase, which Carmarthenshire County Council, quite rightly so, has used to promote the County’s scenery and tourism. Due to the recent wave of developers wishing to install wind farms in this County, it is questionable as to how much longer we would be eligible to retain that proud title. Or is it, which would seem to be more likely the case, that wind farm developers regard Carmarthenshire County Council as a soft option with regard to future planning applications?
The quietness and panoramic views of Betws Mountain are targeted. The lush countryside around Llansadwrn will be exploited. From word of mouth, the rugged splendour and beauty around Caio and Llyn Brianne is going to be desecrated and from more recent information, the watershed of the majestic Cothi and Tywi Valleys is now under threat.
It would appear that yet another developer is in the act of trying to seduce a landowner at Llanfynydd. If that goes ahead more incredible views would be destroyed. Obviously the temptations of highly subsidised financial gain to landowners must be enormous but in cases like these, surely the scenic beauty and the pride that we have in our heritage of the land; given to us locals and tourists alike; must be taken into consideration.
There is also a proposed installation of at least twenty three 400 feet high wind turbines on Mynydd y Gwair which adjoins Betws Mountain. Although this is in the county of Swansea the combined possible impact, for starters, would be between 43 and 53 gigantic wind turbines on a continual mountain stretch covering a few miles.
 The case for wind farms is said to be that they are a clean, environmentally- friendly form of energy. But when weighed against the environmental destruction during installation, this argument becomes less convincing. The developers of the proposed Mynydd Llansadwrn project say they would need 15-foot-wide access roads to carry heavy machinery and equipment to the site; they plan to drill into the bedrock to a depth of 10-12 feet in order to build huge concrete pads needed to support each turbine. There would also be cable trenches or pylons to carry the transmission lines to the grid. This is a major construction project that could have devastating environmental consequences.
Contrary to popular opinion, wind turbines do not reduce our dependency on fossil fuels or nuclear energy. They are weather dependent – no wind, no electricity; too much wind and turbines are shut down for safety reasons – so they need back-up from conventional power stations. The saving therefore of CO2 emission is negligible for a means of electrical energy production that is known to be only 30% efficient.
Some of these wind turbines would be as tall as a 30-storey building, with rotating blades wider than the wingspan of a jumbo jet. They would dominate our landscape and be visible for many, many miles. The rotating blades can create a strobe-like effect as well as shadow flicker; these light disturbances are experienced inside the home as well as outside. But the visual intrusion is not the only problem. Wind turbines emit a low-frequency, penetrating sound that may be very irritating and is often worse with the windows shut, when resonances can be experienced causing elevated levels of low frequency noise at points within a room.
There are recognised health problems such as sleep disruption and pulse irregularity associated with this type of low-frequency sound, which is sometimes below the normal audible limit. At present research is being conducted and concern expressed by the UKNA (United Kingdom Noise Association). Environmental low-frequency noise (LFN) can take two forms: (a) direct sound heard outdoors, such as the rumble of heavy traffic or the deep hum of heavy industrial machinery, and (b) resonance inside buildings from vibrations caused by a nearby source or from low frequency components of sound which are more prominent at greater distances and can be ‘felt’, much as vibrations can and it has been reported that several governments have been carrying out classified research into the effects of infrasound as part of their non-lethal weapons programmes.
Even more disturbing is the newly published report telling of the concerns of two doctors residing in totally different areas of the UK. These two doctors are worried about the effects of low-frequency noise emitting from wind turbines, some of which are taller than Big Ben. One of these doctors, a Dr Bridget Osborne has presented a paper to the Royal College of General Practitioners detailing a "marked" increase in depression among her patients who live near wind farms. The other doctor, a Dr Amanda Harry said: "People demonstrated a range of symptoms from headaches, migraines, nausea, dizziness, palpitations and tinnitus to sleep disturbance, stress, anxiety and depression. These symptoms had a knock-on effect in their daily lives, causing poor concentration, irritability and an inability to cope." These symptoms were experienced by their patients living up to a mile away from wind farms.
Wind farms are not new to Wales. We already have 36% of all the turbines in the UK, but only 5% of the population. Wales currently produces twice as much electricity as what is used here. The UK, taken in whole at the end of 2003 had an operating wind capacity of 568 Megawatts whereas Canada with significantly more vast open spaces had 236 Megawatts and Russia with its land expanse had 7 Megawatts.
The so-called ‘green’ credits that are offered to the community by the developers have in the experience of communities where wind farms are already installed, failed to materialise once the turbines are up and running.
On 12th Jan, 2004, in Scotland’s ‘Press & Journal’, it was reported in a briefing document to MPs and MSPs, that electricity prices could rise by up to 63% by 2010. North-east Tory list MSP David Davidson said that he felt the executive had not considered all the options.
"There is a bit of a scandal going on in that there are no figures being published about how much money is going into wind turbines," he said. "Wind turbines cannot produce electricity at a sustainable price, they have a huge subsidy, and quite frankly they are not going to deliver, no matter what the executive says. If there is no wind and the Government is determined to produce 40% of energy from renewable sources then they might have to shut down the supply to some houses." He added: "If we are going to hold to the Kyoto agreement we have to reinstate two of the nuclear power sites. We would be far better off putting money into sub-sea turbine research and other forms which are more efficient and effective."
However dire that warning is, we as residents of Carmarthenshire have a more imminent problem due to what will be the inevitable flood tide of developers scrambling for planning applications once Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott introduces his PPS 22 consultative document on renewable energy, and which the Welsh Assembly will undoubtedly follow with a similarly updated TAN8 document. The consultative document PPS 22 if adopted unchanged allows central government in England to over-rule English Local Authority Planning objections by stating, “Small-scale developments such as wind turbines should be permitted within areas such as National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coasts provided that there is no serious environmental detriment to the area concerned.”
It is questionable from the existing installations as to how small the definition of small-scale is interpreted as and what exactly is regarded as being of serious environmental detriment. The statement in the “Buffer Zones and Local Designations” section of the document, of “Nor should local landscape and local nature conservation designations be used in themselves to refuse planning permission for renewable energy developments”, would also seem on face value to open the flood gates for developers.
Yet another newly published report tells of the concerns of Welsh campaigners regarding a red kite being hacked to death by the blades of a wind turbine near Aberystwyth. It would seem that they may take similar action to that of USA wildlife experts who have launched a lawsuit against a San Francisco wind farm known to kill 5,500 birds a year.
It is crunch time now for Carmarthenshire.
We need to act now, not after wind turbines have become part of our landscape. The time is upon us right now to stand up and voice our opinions and use our votes. It will be too late afterwards for anyone to say, “What happened to Carmarthenshire - The Garden of Wales?”
Co-Authors:
Joanne Jessop, Mynydd Llansadwrn Working Group.
Mal Davies, Betws Mountain Preservation Guide web site.
Spring 2004.
|
Protest Walk Report